Simplifying Network Operations with NSX-T: A Guide to Logical Routing and Diagnostics

This blog post delves into the logical routing capabilities of NSX-T and how network administrators can harness the power of NSX Manager and Edge CLI commands to efficiently manage and troubleshoot their network infrastructure.

NSX Manager: Your Gateway to Network Management

NSX Manager serves as the centralized network management console in VMware’s NSX-T architecture. From listing gateways to viewing detailed route information, NSX Manager equips administrators with the tools they need to manage their network effectively.

Key Commands from NSX Manager:

• List All Gateways: Easily view all the gateways within your network with
  get gateways
• Gateway Details: For specifics about a gateway, use
  get gateway <uuid>
• Interface Management: View a gateway’s interfaces using get gateway <uuid> interfaces and get detailed interface information with
  get gateway <uuid> interface <interface-id>
• Routing Information: Access route details on a gateway with
  get gateway <uuid> route
• NSX Edge Node Status: Check the status of NSX Edge nodes registered with the NSX Manager using get transport-node status

Edge CLI: Deep Dive into Gateway Diagnostics

The Edge CLI is your go-to for an in-depth analysis and diagnostics of gateways. Whether you’re monitoring gateway statistics or reviewing BGP and OSPF configurations, the Edge CLI commands offer a granular view of network operations.

View the gateway BGP information:

• Gateway Overview: get gateways provides a list of all gateways.
• To enter into the VRF construct: vrf <ID>
• View the bgp neighbor of a Tier-0 SR:
  (Tier-0)> get bgp neighbor
• View the interfaces on a Tier-0 SR:
  (Tier-0)> get interfaces
• View the forwarding table:
  (Tier-0)> get forwarding
• View the Routes:
  (Tier-0)> get route
• View the BFG configuration:
  (Tier-0)> get bfd-config

View the gateway OSPF information

• To enter into the VRF construct: vrf <ID>
• View the bgp neighbor of a Tier-0 SR:
  (Tier-0)> get ospf neighbor
• View the details of the OSPF interface:
  (Tier-0)> get ospf interface
• View the forwarding table:
  (Tier-0)> get forwarding
• View the Routes:
  (Tier-0)> get route
• View the OSPF database:
  (Tier-0)> get ospf database

• Statistics and Neighbors: Use get gateway <uuid> stats for statistics and
  get gateway <uuid> neighbor to view neighbor details.
• BGP and OSPF Configurations: Enter the VRF construct with
  vrf <ID> to view BGP neighbors, OSPF interfaces, and routing information.

ESXi Host-Level Insights

At the ESXi host level, NSX-T extends its capabilities to provide essential diagnostics and log file access, ensuring administrators have all the necessary tools at their fingertips.

Commands Run from ESXi:

• Forwarding Table and Interfaces: View the gateway’s forwarding table and interfaces with get gateway <UUID> forwarding and
  get gateway <UUID> interfaces.
• Neighbors: To see a gateway’s neighbors, use
  get gateway <UUID> neighbors.

Log Files on ESXi:

• NSX Syslog Log File: Located at /var/log/nsx-syslog.log, this log file is critical for troubleshooting and understanding the events within your NSX environment.